The mission of the International Underwater
Spearfishing Association is to promote ethical, safe, and sportsmanlike spearfishing
practices, to encourage and support a sense of environmental responsibility among
divers, to establish uniform regulations for the compilation of world spearfishing
records, to provide basic spearfishing guidelines for use in other spearfishing
activities, and to participate in educational and scientific programs.

Every fish is a gift. Only one is Fish of the Year!

The IUSA Board evaluates all world records approved during the year and determines which, in its opinion, is the Fish of the Year. The criteria for the Fish of the Year is based on the following factors:

size of the fish

Difficulty due to the fish’s behavior

How much more the fish weighs than the prior record

How long the prior record was in place

Method of catch

Rarity of the catch

Depth the fish was taken

RULES UPDATED

The spear must be charged by muscle power, the charge held in place by hand and released
by hand release only, no mechanical trigger release or holding mechanism is allowed to
be used or to be on the polespear or sling.